Five-year-old saves mum with 911 call
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Do you know I don't think I've ever sat my five-year-old down for the "who to ring in an emergency" talk, but after watching this video about one smart boy, I think I will.
Although no one had ever taught Tyler Swass what to do in an emergency, he had somehow picked up the information and knew the number to ring when his mum needed help.
When asked how he knew to dial 911, Tyler replied: "I didn't learn it from anyone. I just got it from myself." I bet his mum is thanking her lucky stars for that.She was at home with Tyler and his baby sister in Forks Township, about an hour from New York City, when she started having a seizure, which she occasionally suffers from.
"I am so proud of him, I started to cry," she told NBC of the moment when she woke up in hospital and learned that her little boy had come to her rescue.
"She was, like, shaking, and then she just laid on the ground because she was staying on the ground, and then I got the phone and then called 911," Tyler told NBC.
But he did find the conversation a little annoying: "They asked me if she can talk to them, but I telled them that she couldn't because she had a seizure -- duh!" he tells the TV station. "I had to keep saying that every time, but they still didn't listen. But then they stopped talking about it."
Although he only knew the family's street name and not their full address, luckily family friend and volunteer firefighter Matt Mowery heard the call on the scanner.
He told NBC: "When I got there, I walked in the door and go, 'T-Man, what did you do?' and he looks at me and he goes 'I called 911. My mom needed it.".
With Tyler saving his mother's life and this recent story of a toddler doing the same, I think me and my five-year-old will be having a chat about calling 999, although I shall have to make it clear that Mummy not letting her stay up late isn't an emergency.
Have you taught your children how to ring the emergency services?
Although no one had ever taught Tyler Swass what to do in an emergency, he had somehow picked up the information and knew the number to ring when his mum needed help.
When asked how he knew to dial 911, Tyler replied: "I didn't learn it from anyone. I just got it from myself." I bet his mum is thanking her lucky stars for that.She was at home with Tyler and his baby sister in Forks Township, about an hour from New York City, when she started having a seizure, which she occasionally suffers from.
"I am so proud of him, I started to cry," she told NBC of the moment when she woke up in hospital and learned that her little boy had come to her rescue.
"She was, like, shaking, and then she just laid on the ground because she was staying on the ground, and then I got the phone and then called 911," Tyler told NBC.
But he did find the conversation a little annoying: "They asked me if she can talk to them, but I telled them that she couldn't because she had a seizure -- duh!" he tells the TV station. "I had to keep saying that every time, but they still didn't listen. But then they stopped talking about it."
Although he only knew the family's street name and not their full address, luckily family friend and volunteer firefighter Matt Mowery heard the call on the scanner.
He told NBC: "When I got there, I walked in the door and go, 'T-Man, what did you do?' and he looks at me and he goes 'I called 911. My mom needed it.".
With Tyler saving his mother's life and this recent story of a toddler doing the same, I think me and my five-year-old will be having a chat about calling 999, although I shall have to make it clear that Mummy not letting her stay up late isn't an emergency.
Have you taught your children how to ring the emergency services?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Teacher 2-04-2010 @ 5:25PM
Well done to this little boy who did the right thing and got help for his mum when she needed it. I never consciously taught my kids emergency numbers when they were little but even very young children are not daft and pick things up. I had an embarrassing experience when my son was under 4 years old. He passed the phone to me and I found myself talking to the police. He had called 999 (equvalent to 911 in the US) and had asked to speak to the police - he got through and asked for his Dad to be arrested because the latter wouldn't let him have spaghetti for tea. Needless to say, I had to humbly apologise and then I taught my kids all the protocols and circumstances in which to call emergency services!
If you are a vulnerable parent (e.g., with epilepsy or other problems) it is never too early to teach children what to do in an emergency - indeed the same could go for all children as even fit and healthy parents can have accidents. One of the first things I did when my children were old enough to understand / talk was to get them to memorise their address and phone number - they both had this off pat by the age of 2-3. I think this is vital as there are all sorts of other scenarios - e.g., getting lost, etc.
My son is still occasionally disappointed if he wants spaghetti and I don't have any in the house but he's an adult now (in the Army and soon to be deployed to Afghanistan). Let him call emergency services from there if he doesn't get spaghetti for tea!!!
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barrettt 2-04-2010 @ 7:52PM
congratulations , fromPam to Mother and Son
graham 2-07-2010 @ 2:40PM
Its OK for you. My kids would have drank all the booze in the house,taken my car and credit card, bought all the cheap smack in mos-side and invited everyone round for a rave, and they are only 5 year old twins. as for calling the emergency services, huh ! taken photos of me 'fitting' with my phone and put them on 'you tube' perhaps . American kids are so much nicer don't you think ?